I Don’t Get Baby Sensory

[SlyAvocado]

And I’m not sure my baby does either

We spent twenty minutes thanking the sun for shining on us and the corn for feeding us, and everyone else seemed to know all the sign language.

I don’t actually like corn so I didn’t particularly want to thank it, but the other mums seemed to really be appreciative of the corn and the other things in the song. The only sign I got to grips with was waving.

My baby didn’t give a toss anyway and spent most of the class staring at a bottle of hand sanitiser.

Then we waved some scarves over our baby’s faces, while the instructor danced around blowing bubbles to ‘Morning Has Broken’

My morning was broken at 4am anyway by my crap sleeper of a baby, 10am is practically afternoon for us.

I am new to the area so I tried to be jolly and talk to the other mums but they weren’t interested, I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t thank the corn.

I wore my Tears For Fears t-shirt with a sequinned blazer which might have been an odd choice but I thought, sequins are sensory aren’t they? The instructor asked if I was off to an 80’s party and I said no, I’m on my way back from one.

We will finish the course because I paid £65, so it’ll be like that time I got drunk and signed up to Zumba classes and made myself keep going even though I hated every minute of it and was rubbish and was asked to stand at the back by the fire exit.

Is there something I’m missing, are all baby sensory classes like that? Do I need to learn all the sign language?

I’m not overly bothered from a friendship point of view because we go to a music class too in a different area which is held in a pub and the parents are really friendly at that one. The baby also loves to shake a maraca like Bez, so I think he prefers it too.

I took my disabled dc for sensory sessions in a specialist room with fibre optic lights, bubble tube etc and a 1 to 1 specialist teacher. When I first heard of baby sensory I thought it would be similar so I got a bit of a shock when I found out that the teacher's qualifications were in performing arts and the classes were nothing like what I had been to before.

When my son was a baby I used to do outings to Pets At Home on rainy days just for something to do.
I did this too! He liked watching the bunnies & guineas. Then I used to meet a friend in the cafe next door

@Foolsrule

Re the sign language, saying hello to the sun is basically the wanker symbol 😀

Is it?

@SlyAvocado I want you to keep attending, so I can read your highly entertaining reports!
I did several baby groups and with my first, they were definitely about getting out of the house! I was told off once for spending the £1 book token they gave us on a book that wasn’t age appropriate. Good old days.

I'm due in a week and this is one thing I won't be doing with baby on Mat leave. In fact any paid activity. After being a nanny for 17 years I've seen it all and it's ridiculous 😂

I quite liked it, gave us something to do on a Monday afternoon. I wasn’t bothered about the authenticity of the sign language and I didn’t really feel the need to analyse the song lyrics or activities. Maybe I’m the weird one.

@DrSbaitso well spotted 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I found baby sensory excruciating, the song made me feel really awkward and embarrassed so we did the trial, thanked them and backed out of the room as quickly as possible.

We went to a music one in a church hall which I thought was pretty good, but DS made his feelings known after a few weeks, when he started spending the first half of the session trying to work the photocopier in the corner, rather than tapping his sticks/shaking his tambourine. He'd hang around for the half time drink and biscuit, then go and collect his shoes and put them on before the second half started.

Swimming and Rugby Munchkins stuck however, and he still does both as a strapping 12 year old

God I miss all that hippy shit (Was so funny!)

the song made me feel really awkward and embarrassed

Why?

I think it was just because it goes on sooooo long. DS and I sat there like lemons, not knowing what to do with ourselves and when it was going to end.

Ha! Some baby groups are rubbish and some are good, all are usually mummy mafia central. With my first they were a lifeline but with my second there were barely any because of covid and the ones we went to were not good. One involved someone shouting at Alexa to play some nursery rhymes while the babies rolled around with scarves on a filthy floor. I didn't go back even though I'd paid too much money not to.
The baby pub group sounds great and you sound funny, I'd like to go shake maracas and not thank the corn there.

@edwinbear

I think it was just because it goes on sooooo long. DS and I sat there like lemons, not knowing what to do with ourselves and when it was going to end.

Eh? You just sing along and do the actions and then afterwards you do the rest of the class, of course, like everyone else.

I can understand why some people don't like baby sensory but some of these responses are really odd. There's nothing embarrassing or horrendous about it.

'why am I brushing a facking fevver dahnn this baby's face?'

Best thing I've read today 😂

I don't mind baby sensory - my baby is crawling and loves tearing around the hall and his little face lights up when the Say Hello song gets going. Mainly I go because it is a really nice quite long walk to get there and my baby wouldn't be keen to sit in the pram for the out and back trip without something for him now he is mobile. I didn't bother before 7 months as he had reflux and was screaming all the time, whereas for my first I went to everything to get out and about and meet friends. I did meet one friend at baby sensory with my first, but there was definitely a bit of a mean girl vibe!

The one my son really loves, though, is a playgroup at the local evangelical church and is £1, so far better value. We are not very religious (and nor are many others), but they are super kind and welcoming, with a huge variety of toys in different rooms. Turns out my son absolutely loves a good evangelical song song and they do brilliant tea and biscuits.

But I did enjoy your post! My DH was definitely a bit WTF when he took my son!

@OfstedOffred

Any "class" where the activity is targeted at a baby under 1 or even 18m is generally a waste of money.

The baby does not give a shit about the class, but participating in said daft activity means you aren't doing what you are probably there hoping to do, which is chat to other mums, preferably with a tea & a biscuit.

The far better option is baby/toddler groups typically hosted in church halls by vintage ladies. Tea, biscuits and a selection of old toys are typically provided. You spend the time chatting, vintage ladies hold baby while you wee/have first hot drink in weeks, you get a biscuit & tea, you are not required to book/pay £80 a term.... etc etc.

Need I say more?

I agree, but the informal groups were largely very, very slow to come back post-covid whereas the expensive classes reopened as soon as they could, so for a long time the classes were the only option in lots of places. My local toddler group is still running on limited numbers so you have to pre-book, and none of the older volunteers have come back so their baby holding skills are absent (and much missed)

@OfstedOffred I think swimming is the exception to this, 100% worth the (extortionate) money. You can take a one year old swimming but I couldn’t have taught my one year old safety skills.

Baby sign language was useful but you could probably learn it from YouTube. I just liked leaving the house in lockdown to be honest

I feel seen OP!

I did Baby Sensory with DS1 (now 5) and after the first session where it became very apparent that neither me or DS liked it at all, I used to dread every Tuesday when we dragged ourselves to it (...cos, you know, I'd paid for a whole term upfront and I'm tight like that!). DS despised it. He loved other sensory based classes though (if you've got a Hartbeeps class nearby, that's far better IME!) but BS wasn't the one. I also found the other Mum's a bit stuck up at BS, but might just be my area...

Needless to say, we haven't been back to BS with DS2 (7mo) :-) In fact, barely been to any with DS2 and f*ck me, it's pretty bloody liberating not to feel that you must Get Out The House (sometimes it's fine to slob at home now and again!).

I think it's absolutely fine and reasonable to not like a particular baby group, or indeed baby groups as a concept. I wasn't very keen either. But I think if you don't like it then just go back, don't go and roll your eyes and make it clear that this is all beneath you. Doing that absolutely poisons the atmosphere for everyone - it makes everyone else feel really self-conscious and silly, so that now they can't enjoy the class either. And it doesn't make you look cool, it makes you look like a sulky teenager.

You know what to do. Start your own sensory class with lots of sequins and no sodding corn, pick up a load of scarves in a charity shop and some cheap bubbles. 10 @ £65,……… money for old rope.

I also think its about finding the right class - I had a lovely one with really friendly mums (to also eyeroll with) and some that literally turned their back as I smiled at them.

I just signed up to baby ballet which I thought would be terrible but DC absolutely loved it so I enjoyed it too!

I liked baby sensory but found it wasn't the same in lockdown as when I went a few years ago.

I liked the smaller classes personally. Hated rhythm time and moo music they were so tedious.

Only went the first time because I had no idea how to talk to or play with a baby. Second time was much picker and went to classes so I had to leave the house a couple of times a week.

It’s one of those things I feel I don’t need to try to know I don’t like it. A bit like poking myself in the eye with a shitty stick. I don’t need to try that to know I won’t like it. It’s just not for me.

I went to a taster session and never again. The lady running it was completely off her rocker, thinking about it still makes me shudder. I much prefer the £1.50 per session baby and toddler group at the local church, they just put a load of toys out and let the kids get on with it while we have a cup of tea. Much less intense.